MALCOLM

Malcolm (Colin Friels) is regarded as a little peculiar, a tad retarded. Even his boss at the tram depot thinks so, and has no option but to dismiss Malcolm when he's caught riding the small tram he's built after hours.

But Malcolm is not retarded. At home, we see just how bright he is - he's surrounded by gadgets that he's invented himself. There are miniature modes of transport for his parakeet Arnold, homemade tram sets and even a remote control car that he's fashioned into a milk bottle delivery system.

When he "drives" his car to the local shop for more milk, Malcolm is perturbed to learn that the shopkeeper - Mrs T (Beverley Phillips) won't honour his request because he doesn't have the money to pay for it. He pays her a visit to reason with her. It seems that since his mother's death and the loss of his job, Malcolm is struggling to run the house he has inherited.

Mrs T suggests that Malcolm should take in a lodger and puts an advertisement in her shop window on his behalf.

Enter cocky Frank (John Hargreaves). Frank is struck by Malcolm's social ineptitude but takes his mother's old room anyway, returning from the pub on the first evening with Judith (Lindy Davies) in tow. Judith ingratiates herself with Malcolm briefly, before requesting that she also lodge there - in Frank's room. Malcolm agrees. Sort of.

The following day, Frank's back at the pub and we learn how he makes a living - by robbing warehouses. He begins to stash his ill-gotten wares in his bedroom, fobbing the innocent Malcolm off when he becomes curious. Malcolm, oblivious to any wrongdoing, simply requests that Frank give him the empty cardboard boxes that his "stuff" comes packed in.

Frank eventually warms to Malcolm and gives him a (stolen) TV set to watch in his bedroom. This, coupled by Malcolm's awe when he witnesses Frank beat a couple of men for flirting with Judith, places Frank on a pedestal in Malcolm's eyes.

So the naïve lad doesn't too much coercing when Frank and Judith plan to go on a robbing spree, and hatch a plan to incorporate Malcolm's mechanical ingenuity into their schemes …

An astutely observed character piece that deliberately avoids answering questions (is Malcolm autistic? Possibly), MALCOLM is an intelligent and frequently witty film from 1986 that manages to thankfully steer clear of sentimentality for the most part.

The dialogue is smart and often funny, while the three central performances are spot on. Hargreaves and Friels in particular are excellent, and their relationship is a joy to observe. Bordering on farce at times, it manages to avoid slapstick while playing on the chasm of differences between the two.

And just when you think the film is going to leave a bitter taste in your mouth, that Frank and Judith are indeed exploiting their unassuming accomplice, the film grows into a tale of friendship that sees the trio bond over money woes, hopes and fears.

The script from David Parker may well be excellent, as are the performances, but Nadia Tass' direction is perhaps a tad flat. This means that although always engaging, MALCOLM is bereft of any dramatic tension and looks pretty much like a Channel 4 drama from the late 80s.

It's a minor quibble though. This is a feelgood film, deriving comedy from awkward social beginnings and pulling it off with an agreeable absence of sanctimony.

Britfilms' disc presents MALCOLM in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, enhanced for 16x9 TV sets. The picture is reasonably sharp and generally clean. Some grain is evident, but it's never problematic. All in all, it's a pleasingly bright proposition.

English mono audio is clean and clear throughout, offering problem-free playback.

An animated main menu leads into a colourful animated scene-selection menu allowing access to the main feature via 16 chapters.

The disc is furnished with a welcome array of extras. First up is a press conference-style interview with director Nadia Tass and writer David Parker. They speak into microphones about the impact the film had at its time of release, the projects they've involved themselves with since and how the film has influenced their own careers. This lasts a modest 7 minutes.

A 6-minute interview with Friels follows, where he chats about the script's genesis and the audience's reaction to the film, among other things. This interview with the amiable chap is shot on video and doesn't look too shabby despite minor camera shaking on occasion, although Britfilms have seen fit to include an introductory disclaimer warning of inferior video quality.

A 2-minute trailer is presented in non-enhanced 1.85:1, and does a good job of putting across the film's warm wit.

Behind-The-Scenes footage is unfortunately brief at only 80 seconds in length, but welcome nonetheless.

An image gallery of 11 stills and one page of text illuminating Britfilms' agenda round off the extras.

The disc is defaulted to open with trailers for DOING TIME FOR PATSY CLINE, STORM BOY and THE SURVIVOR.

Hardly SGM material, but a good film with a heart of gold nevertheless. An excellent cast and the wry observations of Parker's intelligent script make this one worth recommending. Kudos to Britfilms for a strong disc too.

Review by Stu Willis